Citation

Chung EK, Mathew L, Elo IT, Coyne JC, Culhane JF. Ambul. Pediatr. 2008; 8(2): 109-116.

Affiliation

Department of Pediatrics, Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, Delaware, USA. echung@nemours.org

Copyright

(Copyright © 2008, Ambulatory Pediatric Association, Publisher Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.ambp.2007.12.003

PMID

18355740

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To determine the association between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), positive influences in childhood (PICs), and depressive symptoms among low-income pregnant women. METHODS: Face-to-face survey of women receiving prenatal care at Philadelphia community health centers. We conducted surveys at the first prenatal care visit and at a mean age +/- standard deviation of 11 +/- 1 months postpartum, and obtained information on sociodemographic characteristics and childhood experiences before age 16. Group differences were tested with respect to a cutpoint of 23 on the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression scale (CES-D), with the chi(2) test used for categorical variables and the Student's t test used for continuous variables. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to adjust for potential confounding variables. RESULTS: The sample consisted of 1476 mostly young, African American, low-income women. The majority (70% and 90%, respectively) of women reported at least one ACE and one PIC. For each ACE, affected women were more likely to have depressive symptoms than their counterparts. There was a dose-response effect in that a higher number of ACEs was associated with a higher likelihood of having depressive symptoms. PICs, on the other hand, were associated with a lower likelihood of having depressive symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Among low-income women, ACEs were associated with a higher likelihood of having depressive symptoms in a dose-response fashion, and PICs were associated with a lower risk. Efforts to prevent ACEs and to promote PICs might help reduce the risk of depressive symptoms and their associated problems in adulthood.

Language: en